ItalianItalian LanguageLanguage KitKit Expressions - Grammar - Online Resources - Culture languagecoursesuk.co.uk Introduction Whether you plan to embark on a new journey towards learning Italian or you just need a basic reference booklet for a trip abroad, the Cactus team has compiled some of the most helpful Italian expressions, grammar rules, culture tips and recommendations. Unsurprisin- gly, Italian is an extremely popular choice among Cactus language learners, who learn it out of a passion and love of the Italian culture and gastronomy. Learning Italian is an excellent way and pretext to indulge in the renowned Italian gastronomy, and to discover the trea- sures Italy has to offer. Italy has one of the world’s highest concentrations of UNESCO heri- tage sites, and is boasting gorgeous landscapes, making Italian a very attractive language to learn. Learning Italian is the beginning of an exciting adventure that is waiting for you! The Cactus Team 3. Essential Expressions Contact us 4. Grammar and Numbers Telephone (local rate) 5. Useful Verbs 0845 130 4775 8. Online Resources Telephone (int’l) 10. Take a Language Holiday +44 1273 830 960 11. Cultural Differences Monday-Thursday: 9am-7pm 12. Italian Culture Recommendations Friday: 9am-5pm 15. Start Learning Italian 2 Essential Expressions Hello Buongiorno (bwohn jour-noh) Goodbye Arrivederci (ah-ree-vah-dair-chee) Please Per favore (pair fa-vohr-ray) Thank you Grazie (grat-tzee-yay) Yes Si (see) No No (no) Excuse me/sorry Scusi (skoo-zee) My name is… Mi chiamo... (mee kee-ah-mo) What is your name? Come si chiama? (koh-meh see kee-ah-mah) Nice to meet you Piacere / Molto lieto (pee-ah-cheh-reh / mohl-toh lee-eh-toh) Where do you come from? Di dov’è? (dee doh-veh) I come from Great Britain/America Sono del Regno Unito / Sono Americano How are you? Come sta? / Come stai? (koh-meh stah / koh-meh sty) Where is…? Dov’è...? (doh-veh) I would like... Vorrei... (voar-ray) How much is it? Quanto costa? (kwan-toh cost-ah) Can you help me? Può aiutarmi? (pwoh ah-yoo-tar-mee) I don’t understand Non capisco (non kah-pees-koh) I don’t speak Italian Non parlo italiano (non par-lo ee-tahl-ee-ah-no) Do you speak English? Parli inglese? (par-lee een-gleh-zeh) 3 Grammar and Numbers Indefinite articles Definite articles before Singular Plural before Masculine Feminine Masculine Masculine a consonant un ragazzo una ragazza a consonant il ragazzo i ragazzi a vowel un albergo un’opera a vowel l’albergo gli alberghi gn uno gnomo s + consonant lo scambio gli scambi ps uno psicologo z lo zero gli zeri s + consonant uno scambio ps lo psicologo gli psicologi x uno xilofono y lo yogurt gli yogurt y uno yogurt Feminine Feminine z uno zero a consonant la ragazza le ragazze Numbers a vowel l’opera le opere 0 zero 10 dieci 20 venti 200 duecento 1 uno 11 undici 21 ventuno 300 trecento 2 due 12 dodici 30 trenta 400 quattrocento 3 tre 13 tredici 40 quaranta 500 cinquecento 4 quattro 14 quattordici 50 cinquanta 600 seicento 5 cinque 15 quindici 60 sessanta 700 settecento 6 sei 16 sedici 70 settanta 800 ottocento 7 sette 17 diciassette 80 ottanta 900 novecento 8 otto 18 diciotto 90 novanta 1000 mille 9 nove 19 diciannove 100 cento 4 Useful Verbs Avere (to have) Essere (to be) Present Present perfect Present Present perfect ho ho avuto sono sono stato/a hai hai avuto sei sei stato/a ha ha avuto è è stato/a abbiamo abbiamo avuto siamo siamo stati/e avete avete avuto siete siete stati/e hanno hanno avuto sono sono stati/e Imperfect Pluperfect Imperfect Pluperfect avevo avevo avuto ero ero stato/a avevi avevi avuto eri eri stato/a aveva aveva avuto era era stato/a avevamo avevamo avuto eravamo eravamo stati/e avevate avevate avuto eravate eravate stati/e avevano avevano avuto erano erano stati/e Future Future perfect Future Future perfect avrò avrò avuto sarò sarò stato/a avrai avrai avuto sarai sarai stato/a avrà avrà avuto sarà sarà stato/a avremo avremo avuto saremo saremo stati/e avrete avrete avuto sarete sarete stati/e avranno avranno avuto saranno saranno stati/e 5 Useful Verbs Andare (to go) Parlare (to talk) Present Present perfect Present Present perfect vado sono andato/a parlo ho parlato vai sei andato/a parli hai parlato va è andato/a parla ha parlato andiamo siamo andati/e parliamo abbiamo parlato andate siete andati/e parlate avete parlato vanno sono andati/e parlano hanno parlato Imperfect Pluperfect Imperfect Pluperfect andavo ero andato/a parlavo avevo parlato andavi eri andato/a parlavi avevi parlato andava era andato/a parlava aveva parlato andavamo eravamo andati/e parlavamo avevamo parlato andavate eravate andati/e parlavate avevate parlato andavano erano andati/e parlavano avevano parlato Future Future perfect Future Future perfect andrò sarò andato/a parlerò avrò parlato andrai sarai andato/a parlerai avrai parlato andrà sarà andato/a parlerà avrà parlato andremo saremo andati/e parleremo avremo parlato andrete sarete andati/e parlerete avrete parlato andranno saranno andati/e parleranno avranno parlato 6 Useful Verbs Credere (to believe) Dormire (to sleep) Present Present perfect Present Present perfect credo ho creduto dormo ho dormito credi hai creduto dormi hai dormito crede ha creduto dorme ha dormito crediamo abbiamo creduto dormiamo abbiamo dormito credete avete creduto dormite avete dormito credono hanno creduto dormono hanno dormito Imperfect Pluperfect Imperfect Pluperfect credevo avevo creduto dormivo avevo dormito credevi avevi creduto dormivi avevi dormito credeva aveva creduto dormiva aveva dormito credevamo avevamo creduto dormivamo avevamo dormito credevate avevate creduto dormivate avevate dormito credevano avevano creduto dormivano avevano dormito Future Future perfect Future Future perfect crederò avrò creduto dormirò avrò dormito crederai avrai creduto dormirai avrai dormito crederà avrà creduto dormirà avrà dormito crederemo avremo creduto dormiremo avremo dormito crederete avrete creduto dormirete avrete dormito crederanno avranno creduto dormiranno avranno dormito 7 Online Resources There are so many free online resources that it is sometimes difficult to know which ones to use, and to identify which ones are good. Cactus has carefully assessed the wide range of free language learning resources available online to provide you with a selection of our most recom- mended, useful and reliable sources of information for learning Italian. These can be used as a helpful support to language learning whilst taking one of our face-to-face Italian courses. Dictionaries WordReference is a popular bilingual dictionary, and combines its own dictionary with the long- established Collins dictionary. WordReference also includes a handy Italian verb conjugator and a forum where users can get help with Italian language related questions. Reverso is a well-established online bilingual dictionary. It includes an English-Italian dictionary, along with other handy tools such as a translator and spellchecker. Pronunciation Forvo is a free and comprehensive pronunciation guide maintained by native speakers around the world. It includes the pronunciation of more than 3 million words in 325 languages. Vocabulary Memrise is a popular website and mobile app which enables you to memorise Italian vocabulary. It is a great and fun way to learn new vocabulary in addition to your language course. 8 Online Resources Quizlet is a fun and simple website and mobile app which will help you develop your Italian vocabulary using flash cards. Cram has a large list of flash cards to help you learn new Italian words. It also has a mobile app, so you can memorise Italian vocabulary anywhere anytime. Language Guide is a project helping Italian language students to build their vocabulary using an image and sound dictionary. Mobile app Duolingo is a fun mobile app which offers a comprehensive series of vocabulary, pronunciation and translation exercises. It is a great way to practice what you learn during your Italian evening course while on the go. Duolingo also has a website version, should you prefer to use it from the comfort of your computer. 9 Take a Language Holiday Taking an immersion course abroad is a very efficient way to quickly improve your Italian lan- guage skills. Not only it will increase your confidence in speaking Italian, but it will also be a unique opportunity to discover and experience the Italian culture and practice Italian with native speakers on a daily basis. Cactus has teamed up with the best language schools across the world to offer you a first-rate language learning experience. Mainland Italy The Italian culture, literature, arts and gastronomy have left a strong and long-lasting mark on the Western world. Italy is a country with numerous treasures, from ancient ruins to magnificent galleries and cathedrals, not mentioning its landscapes of outstanding beauty. Italy is also a diverse country with unique regions and cities. Our large choice of destinations means you will have the opportunity to make the most of what Italy has to offer. Cactus offers Italian immersion courses across Italy, including in the renowned cities of Florence, Naples, Rome, Venice and Verona, as well as in several other coastal locations. Italian Islands If you prefer to discover one of Italy’s unique islands, Cactus offers Italian language holidays on the lovely Island of Elba and in fascinating Sicily. 10 Cultural Differences Every culture has its specificities, and as fascinating as they can be, not knowing them can prove surprising and challenging when travelling. To help you blend into the local culture and make the most of your time in Italy, we have listed some of the most striking cultural differences you should be aware of, along with some helpful tips.